Father Miguel Ángel Machorro, who was stabbed Monday evening, May 15, at the main altar in Mexico's Metropolitan cathedral, is hovering between life and death, according to a press release issued in the cathedral itself.

Speaking on behalf on the cathedral
chapter, Father Ricardo Valenzuela, the senior sacristan and liturgical
director of the cathedral, expressed his concern for the health of the priest
and asked for the prayers of all the Catholic faithful. He explained that
Father Machorro was close to the cathedral of Mexico City and involved in some
of its liturgical ceremonies.

Father Valenzuela also announced that Holy
Mass would continue to be celebrated at the normal times and that Cardinal
Norberto Rivera Carrera, the Archbishop and Primate of Mexico, was currently in
Rome. He will decide on the need to celebrate a special Mass of atonement on
account of this sacrilegious attack. The Cardinal will be returning to Mexico
in time to celebrate the Sunday Mass.

Dr. Armando Martínez, the president of the
College of Catholic Lawyers, energetically condemned the attack and called for
a full investigation and the rigorous application of the law. He confirmed that
the attacker had been arrested by the federal police and was being dealt with
by the public prosecutor, and he also thanked the Mexico City authorities for
having transferred the wounded priest by helicopter to a private hospital,
where he is currently being cared for.

Dr. Martínez explained that in recent years
there had been almost 30 violent incursions during religious worship in the
cathedral, most of them carried out by factional groups, as a result which
increased levels of security had been introduced.

However, the police units assigned to the
cathedral have been more focused on the security of the ordinary Catholic
faithful and of the property itself.

Never before has there been a direct attack
of this kind against any priest of the cathedral, nor indeed against the
Cardinal, Norberto Rivera Carrera. This attack had taken everyone by surprise.

The authorities are currently investigating
the incident, and consequently it has not yet been possible to give detailed
answers to all of the questions asked by the press.